


Blood is Thicker than Water, but so is Sludge and Tar and the Horrible Coffee Dad Tried to Make One Time

by Mattecat



Category: The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Movie!Garmadon is a Good Dad, Gen, I just browsed the wikipedia article my dudes, possibly inaccurate facts about volcanoes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-02-18 04:51:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13092783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mattecat/pseuds/Mattecat
Summary: Collection of short things I'm writing in an alternate universe where Movie!Garmadon has positive interactions with his son and isn't completely terrible. Now with some semblance of a plot!





	1. I mean, Kai could've forged Mom's signature, but that's lying and lying is wrong.

**Author's Note:**

> lol I have chaptered things to update what am I doing writing this
> 
> hopefully I'll update this infrequently 'cause like. I don't have time for this. nobody has time for this or the awful long titles I'm giving to each chapter.
> 
> take it as my apology for the sad thing I wrote the other day

"Boss! Do you have a son?"

Garmadon goes silent mid-evil laugh and slowly turns his head to the source of the question.

General Number Twelve is too far away to see clearly, but Garmadon can see that he's holding a megaphone. "Because there's a kid here that says you're his dad," he continues. "And you've never mentioned a son, but that's not really the sort of thing I think a kid would lie about? So I wanted to make sure."

The city has gone silent. None of the civilians are screaming. It's as if even the collapsing buildings have frozen. Garmadon takes his own megaphone and raises it to his lips.

"What's his name?" he asks.

General Twelve turns away briefly, then back to face Garmadon. "He says his name is Lloyd!"

"That's not how you pronounce it, it's _Luh_ -loyd, there's two L's in it."

"Does that mean he's not your son?"

"Give him the megaphone."

"Okay, Boss."

Genera Twelve hands the megaphone to someone smaller standing beside him. There's a delay as he demonstrates how to use it, and then a kid's voice pipes up through it.

"Dad! Can you sign my permission slip?"

Garmadon doesn't answer for a few moments. "What?"

"I said, Dad, can you –"

"No, I heard what you said! But –" Garmadon sighs. "Why can't your mother do it?"

"She's at work! And I was supposed to bring it into school today!"

"I mean, I probably just got you a free day of school, what with the whole conquering the city thing –"

"Please, Dad?"

Garmadon doesn't say anything. Lloyd continues shouting. "'Cause the whole class is going, and I really want to go, and I forgot to ask Mom yesterday and she had to go to work early today and –"

"Okay! Okay, I'll do it. Just, uh, give me a sec, I've gotta get down there."

Garmadon retreats inside his mech and the enormous ship lowers itself to the ground. Garmadon hops out and makes his way through the rubble to General Twelve and his son.

Lloyd has short blonde hair in a bowl cut and the same striking green eyes that Garmadon remembers. He looks a little nervous as Garmadon approaches, and gives his father a shaky smile – oh, he has teeth now. That's new. A lot of things are new, after – what was it, nine years?

"So," Garmadon says, stopping in front of him. "What am I giving you permission to do?"

"It's a field trip," says Lloyd, and he holds out the paper. Garmadon takes it from him and looks it over.

"Museum of Natural History, huh?"

"I guess."

"Seems fun. Do you have a pen?"

"Right! Yeah!" Lloyd digs around in the pocket of his hoodie. "Uh, here's one."

He gives it to Garmadon, who takes another look over the form – he notes the date of the trip, this coming Monday, but it seems pretty generic. Nothing here he's worried about. He signs it and hands it back with the pen. "Here you go," he says, and after a moment's thought, he tousles Lloyd's hair. "Have fun, Luhloyd!"

Lloyd pushes his hand away and grins. "I will! Thanks, Dad!"

He runs off. General Twelve moves to go after him, then stops. "Boss, should I –?"

"Nah," says Garmadon. "My ex's taking good care of him. Probably. Let's, uh…"

Somehow, watching Lloyd scramble over the wreckage of the buildings the shark army destroyed, back to wherever he was before, Garmadon doesn't feel like doing any more damage. His brother is going to show up any minute now, anyway.

"I think we should play the long game, here," he says. "We've wrecked their defenses, we can conquer the city next time. I'm thinking Tuesday. Let's roll out!"

General Twelve stares at him with his mouth open, then turns to the grunts, who are also gathered around staring. "You heard him! Let's go!"

The word quickly travels through the rest of the shark army, and the mechs and ships and troops pull out of the city, retreating back into the ocean to the volcano base. Garmadon watches the city fade into the distance and sighs. Something feels off, but he can't place his finger on what.

* * *

They have a mailboat that comes to the volcanic lair, delivering letters to the grunts and scientists. Garmadon's mailbox is usually empty, apart from the occasional junk mail or impulse purchase, but today, there's something different.

It's definitely addressed to him – LORD GARMADON, EVIL VOLCANIC LAIR, VIA NINJAGO MAILBOAT – but its handwritten in a messy, unfamiliar handwriting, and the return address has no name, just a building and apartment number. Garmadon brings it back to his office before he opens it.

_Dear Dad,_

_Thanks for signing the permission slip. The museum was a lot of fun. We learned about volcanoes, like the one you live in. Did you know there are three different kinds of volcanic eruptions?_

_It's cool that you live in a volcano but you could also probably die._

_Signed, Lloyd_

_PS: Mom says you're wrong and it's pronounced like one L._

Garmadon flips the paper over. There's a drawing of a volcano on the other side. He picks up the envelope again and stares at the return address, trying to commit it to memory.

On Tuesday, during their failed attempt to conquer the city, that building and a good area around it is left untouched.


	2. I'd go to the library except you destroyed it and they haven't finished rebuilding yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "hopefully I'll update this infrequently" hahahahahahahahahahaahahah
> 
> this might be out of character idk

Garmadon doesn't write Lloyd a letter back, and Lloyd doesn't sends another letter after the first one. Two weeks go by, and Garmadon finds himself thinking about his son often. What is he doing now? How is he doing in school? Does he have any friends? He's in a normal school, surrounded by normal people, just like Koko wanted – so he probably definitely has friends, because that's what normal kids do. They have friends.

When he attacks the city again, he keeps an eye out for Lloyd. Tells all his generals to keep an eye out, too, and also that if anything happens to Lloyd, they're dead. He wants to go looking himself, but he's gotta be the one to climb the highest building and conquer the city, so he can't really do anything. Whatever. It's fine.

He doesn't end up seeing him. Well, it's a big city, and he could be anywhere. Garmadon tells himself he's not bothered.

They head back, after Wu shows up and stops them. Garmadon doesn't know why his brother keeps showing up, honestly. What's so special about Ninjago City that he's gotta keep protecting it? He grumbles all the way back to the lair and is ready to lock himself in his office for the rest of the day when a voice crackles over the radio.

"Hey, Boss? We've, uh, got some stowaways."

* * *

It's Lloyd. Of course it's Lloyd. Lloyd and some other kid, a boy with spiky brown hair who looks to be around the same age, maybe a little older. Apparently, they snuck onto one of the ships, and managed to stay hidden all the way to the lair. Garmadon orders his generals to bring them to his office – "Be gentle with them, obviously. I mean, they're kids, and one of them's my son. But boy are they in trouble."

The first thing out of Lloyd's mouth is, "We're not actually in trouble, right?"

Garmadon narrows his eyes at the two kids standing in his office, looking absolutely terrified. "Of course you're in trouble! You're _super_ not supposed to be here, you know that, right? Of course you know that, that's why you had to sneak onto a ship instead of just asking permission. Luhloyd, your mother is going to kill me if she finds out you're here. Why are you here at all?"

"We're doing a group presentation on volcanoes," Lloyd says. "And we thought, uh…"

"You mean _you_ thought," the other kid says, eyes darting from side to side, like he's looking for escape routes. "This was your idea! I'm only here 'cause of the buddy system."

"You still came with me, Kai! It's your presentation too!"

"Yeah, well, I wasn't gonna let you go on your own!"

Garmadon puts all four hands to his face. "Luhloyd, I'm calling your mother. Friend of Luhloyd – Kai, was it? – I'm calling your parents, too."

"My parents are dead," says Kai.

"Okay," says Garmadon. "Well, I'm calling _someone._ Luhloyd, what's your mother's phone number?"

He is _not_ looking forward to this call, so when Lloyd says, "Can you help us with our presentation, first?" he jumps at the chance to put it off.

"Alright, alright," he says, "but only for a little bit."

* * *

"So how do you live in a volcano?" Lloyd asks, dumping the contents of his backpack on the table. "Aren't you afraid it's gonna explode?"

"Erupt," says Kai. The kid still looks nervous, but he seems to have calmed down somewhat. 

"Same thing!"

"Technically," says Garmadon, "this volcano is erupting right now."

Kai yelps. "Oh my gosh what –"

"Don't worry, my scientists engineered an artificial, controlled eruption, so it won't erupt for real and kill us all. It's an effusive eruption, so it's not, like, exploding, and we have safety measures in place to pipe the gas away from the rooms we actually live in. That's why there's lava everywhere, 'cause lava doesn't come out without an eruption."

"Cool," says Lloyd. "Uh, is an effusive eruption magmatic, uh, _free-to_ -magmatic –"

"Phreatomagmatic?" Garmadon says.

"Yeah, that – or is it, uh, phreatic?"

"How about you give your best guess and I'll tell you if you're right."

Lloyd and Kai grab for the same textbook and open it up between them. "It's not phreatic," says Kai, "'cause you don't get new magma with phreatic ones, it's just rocks and steam, I think."

"I think it's phreatomagmatic," Lloyd says, "'cause the book says that's caused by, uh, water and magma, and this is in the middle of the ocean."

"Yeah, but the volcano itself is, like, totally above water, right?"

"I mean, there was a lot of water in that big room where we got caught."

"Yeah, but it wasn't, like, lava-y. Maybe the book says something about effusive eruptions?"

"They talked about it at the museum a little bit. It's like, the safest kind? Except volcanoes aren't safe ever. But, um, there are islands where the eruptions are effusive, which means they don't explode, not really, and you can go right up and watch them. I mean, not right up, because you'll melt and die."

"Wait, the book here says –" Kai jabs at the page and tears the edge, just a little. "– oops. The book here says that phreatomagmatic eruptions can be effusive, so maybe that's just like, another kind of eruption that can be any of the three kinds?"

"I dunno. Hey, Dad, can you just tell us what kind of eruptions are effusive?"

Lloyd and Kai both stare at him with wide eyes. Garmadon furrows his brow in concentration. "Now, it's my scientist's job to know this stuff, not mine, but I'm pretty sure effusive just means the lava comes out without exploding."

Kai grabs a notebook and copies down his words. "Effusive… means… lava… comes out… without… exploding."

"Double check that. I have no idea if I'm actually right."

The sound of a ringtone makes them all jump. "I think that's my mom," says Lloyd, and he takes out his phone. "Yeah. Hi, Mom. Sorry I didn't come right home after school. Yeah, I know. I'm at Dad's place right now, and –."

Lloyd jerks the phone away from his ear, and even Garmadon can hear Koko's voice shouting, "What?!"

"It's not a big deal, Mom!" he says, moving the phone closer, but still keeping it some distance away. "No, I didn't. Kai's here too!"

"Dude, don't tell her I'm here!"

"Shut up, Kai, it's fine!" Lloyd pauses. "Yeah, uh, he's right here. Um. Okay."

He stands up and holds the phone out across the table. "Dad, she wants to talk to you."

Garmadon takes the phone and braces himself. "Hey, Koko –"

"What are you doing?!" Koko shouts. Garmadon can tell she's using an immense effort to avoid raising her voice louder than it already is. "You can't just bring Lloyd to 'your place' whenever you want!"

"Okay, lady, fact check: I didn't bring him over here, he and his friend snuck on one of our ships, and we didn't find them until we were already here."

"And you didn't call me right away?!"

"The kids wanted help with their science project. Apparently they're studying volcanoes. No harm in helping them out with that."

"If they're in any danger –"

"What are you talking about? We're studying! They brought their textbooks and everything! The only danger here is if someone gets a paper cut and dies from boredom." Garmadon takes a deep breath. "He's fine, Koko. Everyone's fine. I'll get someone to bring them back right away."

Koko is quiet for a long few moments. "Then I'm sorry for overreacting," she says. "Now please give the phone back to Lloyd, because he is _so_ grounded."

"Got it. Here you go."

Garmadon hands the phone back to Lloyd. "Hi, Mom," Lloyd says, immediately followed by, "I'm grounded?! For what?!"

"You better start packing up your stuff," Garmadon says to Kai. "I can't imagine whoever's taking care of you is gonna have any better of a reaction."

"Can't ground me if he doesn't know what happened," Kai says. "Thanks for helping us, Lloyd's dad. Maybe you're not actually totally evil after all."

Garmadon laughs. "I wouldn't count on it! Evil is kind of my thing, y'know?"

Just before they leave, Lloyd says, "Oh! Right!" and he runs back to Garmadon and hands him a slip of paper.

"What's this?" Garmadon says.

"Mom's phone number," Lloyd says. "That way if I come over again you can call her and she won't freak out. My number's there, too."

"Dude," says Kai, "you could've called her any time you wanted."

"Yeah, well, shut up, Kai."

Kai cracks up and elbows him gently. "Wait until we tell the others about this!"

"Yeah! Jay's gonna flip out!"

Garmadon doesn't go on the boat ride back with them. Wouldn't want to make the civilians of Ninjago City think he's back to try and conquer them again. He watches the boat until it's far away enough that he can't make out Lloyd in the back, and then goes back inside.


	3. Uncle Wu says change is like a river, and that maybe it'll overflow and wash your house away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why do I keep updating this I have so much other stuff to work on aaaAAAAAAAA

Lloyd listens just outside the kitchen, pressing himself against the wall and trying to catch every word his mother and uncle are exchanging in hushed voices.

"It's too soon," Uncle Wu is saying. "Give it time."

"I need to know _now,_ " his mom says, "because if he's not willing to change, I don't want him anywhere near Lloyd."

"If I confront him this early, he will reject me, he will reject change, and he will close himself off again. You must give it time, Koko. You must let their relationship develop."

"I'm scared," says his mom. "I'm so scared. You know full well that blood relations don't have to mean anything."

"Sometimes that's true," says Wu. "But there's still a connection, and it's up to my brother if he wants it to mean something."

Lloyd creeps back to bed and decides to pretend he hasn't heard anything.

* * *

"I mean, your mom's kind of right," says Jay, sitting in the schoolyard at a picnic table. "My parents aren't like, my real parents, 'cause I was adopted, but at the same time they kind of are? Like my real parents didn't care about me so it's like my adopted parents are my real parents anyway."

"I know," says Lloyd, "but I don't think my dad is like that. I mean, he's evil, and he destroys stuff all the time, but he signed my permission slip, and he helped me and Kai with our presentation."

"For like, five minutes before your mom called and freaked out," Kai adds.

"Yeah, I just…" Lloyd looked down. "I think he can be a dad? If he wants to be? Like, my mom said being related by blood didn't have to mean anything, but I think it could mean something if everyone wants it to."

The three kids sit there in silence for a little bit, chewing on their lunches. "You know he can't keep trying to conquer the city if he wants to be your dad, right?" says Kai.

"I'm not stupid."

"I know, but it's kind of a big thing. Maybe that's why your mom said he has to change."

A basketball crashes in the middle of their table, and Jay screams and falls backwards onto the ground. Lloyd and Kai jump up, glaring at the giggling group of schoolkids.

"Hey, Garma-dork. Where's the rest of the dork squad?"

Nya comes out of nowhere and tackles Chen to the ground, and once the chaos is over all four of them get sent to detention.

* * *

"Well, that sucked," Kai says, rubbing the bruise on his arm as they walked down the hall. "Sis, why'd you have to do that?"

"'Cause they're jerks!" Nya snaps. "They were gonna start a fight, anyway! If I hadn't been there –"

"If you hadn't been there we might've not all been sent to detention," Lloyd muttered, holding an ice pack to his eye. "Or maybe Chen would've gotten in trouble 'cause he would've thrown the first punch."

"Yeah, well –"

"Please stop arguing, guys," Jay says. "My mom's gonna pick me up. Do any of you guys need a ride home?"

"I texted my mom and she's at work I think, 'cause she hasn't answered." Lloyd frowned at his phone. "I don't wanna go home with your mom, Jay, I don't think she likes me."

"Can your uncle pick you up?" Nya asks.

"Uncle Wu can't drive."

"Cole or Zane? Their parents, I mean?"

"They've got stuff today, remember?"

"You can come to our place!" says Kai. "And hang out there until your mom picks you up or something."

"No, guys, it's okay." Lloyd sends a quick text message. "I'm gonna go sit by the docks and then I'll, um, walk home."

"Bro, you shouldn't walk home by yourself," says Nya. "What if someone jumps you?"

"It's okay, really. I'll be fine."

Kai and Nya exchange a nervous look.

"Okay," says Jay. "Um, my mom's here, I gotta run. See you tomorrow, guys!"

He darts down the hall and out the door. Lloyd waits until he sees the car drive away, then follows. "See you tomorrow," he says to Kai and Nya, and then sets off at a run towards the docks.

"He's acting kind of weird," Nya says. "Do you think something's up?"

* * *

Lloyd texts his mom to tell her he's going to hang out at Kai's place, then sits at the dock and waits for the boat.

His phone rings and he quickly answers. "Hi, Dad."

"Hey, Luhloyd! Just letting you know General Number Two should be there in just a few minutes to pick you up. You sure your mother's okay with this?"

"Yeah. I told her I was coming over. She's fine with it."

"Great! That's great!" His dad goes quiet for a moment. "Is, uh, everything alright, Luhloyd?"

"Yeah."

"You sure? This is kind of short notice and all. Did something happen at school today?" Another pause. "That's what parents are supposed to ask, right?"

Lloyd takes a deep breath. "I got in a fight."

"Ah. You won, right?"

"I mean, we got detention and they didn't."

"…but you won, right?"

"Not really."

"What! Don't worry, Luhloyd, I'll go over there and –"

"No!" Lloyd shouts. "If you go over and beat up all my bullies, they'll just hate me even more! I just –" He sniffles and wipes his eyes. "I just didn't want to go back home, 'cause Mom is still at work, and I'll be all alone, and – and – I don't wanna be alone."

His dad doesn't say anything. Lloyd wills himself not to cry. He can see the boat coming towards him, anyway.

"I'll talk to you when I get there," he says. "I'm – I'm gonna hang up now. Bye, Dad."

"Alright, Luhloyd." His dad doesn't sound as loud and confident as he usually does, at least when he's attacking the city. "I'll see you soon."

* * *

"You got punched in the face!"

Garmadon rushes over to Lloyd, shoving General Two out of the way, and lifts him up off the ground. Lloyd yelps and squirms in his grip. "Dad –"

"Just a second, Luhloyd." Holding him with his lower arms, Garmadon takes his upper arms and squishes Lloyd's face. "That's a black eye! Who did this to you?"

"Dad, that hurts!"

Garmadon drops him. Lloyd lands on the ground with an "oof!"

"Sorry!"

"It's not a big deal, Dad," Lloyd mutters, picking up his ice pack and standing up again. "I got in a fight and lost, that's all."

Garmadon frowns. "Well, we can't have this happening again. The losing part, I mean. Luhloyd, it's high time you begin your training."

Lloyd jerks his head up to stare at him. "What?!"

"I may not be able to fight your battles for you, but I can teach you to defend yourself, at least." Garmadon grins down at him. "You know I'm a ninja master, right?"

"You are?!"

"Hasn't your mother ever told you anything? That's how we met!" Garmadon laughs. "Now, our first lesson –"

"We're starting now?"

"Yep! You do want to learn, don't you?"

Lloyd frowns and looks down again. "I don't know," he says. "I don't think I can really do it, that's all."

"Of course you can! You're my son!"

This isn't the first time he's said it. It might not even be the first time he's said it to Lloyd. But something about saying it this time, declaring that Lloyd Garmadon is his son – it feels different. Like he's making it real.

It's almost enough for Garmadon to lose his confidence.

"I mean, only if you want to, of course," he says quickly. "You're still my son if you don't want to be a ninja master. Obviously. So if you don't –"

"No!" Lloyd says quickly. "I mean – I do. I really do. I want to be a ninja master, Dad." Lloyd lowers the ice pack and grins at him, even with the bruised & swollen eye. "What's the first lesson?"

Garmadon beams. "That's my boy! For our first lesson, we should probably move to the training rooms…"


	4. You would think I would've learned in gym class playing dodgeball, but no one gave me a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what's UP I'm UPDATING this finally
> 
> …with the shortest chapter by far, but that's just how it goes. I'll post another chapter soonish? I have a lot of fics to update but I'm making a schedule and I'm going to try to update all my wips at least once a month. we'll see how that goes!

"Here, catch," Garmadon says casually, and he tosses Lloyd a bundled up uniform. "Now," he continues, turning his back before he sees Lloyd catch it, "your first lesson is –"

There's a loud _thud_ and a yelp from behind him. Garmadon turns back around. Lloyd is facedown on the ground, and the uniform has unwrapped itself and is tangled around him, pinning his arms to his sides. Garmadon stares at him with his mouth open before bursting into laughter.

"What was that?" he says, a grin stretching across his face. "Don't you know how to catch?"

Lloyd mumbles something into the floor.

"What was that, son?"

"No, I don't!" Lloyd lifts his head up and glares at Garmadon. "I don't know how to catch, or throw, or ride a bike, or tie a tie, or any of that stuff, 'cause my _dad_ wasn't there to _teach me!_ "

Garmadon stops laughing.

Lloyd manages to wiggle free of the uniform and picks himself off the ground. "It's fine," he says. "I just… it sucks, okay? It sucks that everyone hates me and it sucks that they all make fun of me for not knowing how to do stuff, 'cause Mom's too busy with her jobs to spend time with me, and I… I…"

He sniffles and wipes his eyes. "Sorry," he says.

"You don't have to apologize," Garmadon says. "I… you're right."

"That it sucks?"

"No. I mean, yes, all that stuff definitely sucks, but…" He sighs. "I should've been there, Luhloyd."

Garmadon doesn't know how things could have gone differently. Maybe he could have worked something out with Koko had he just… lived up to what she expected of him. She had only wanted the best possible life for their son, just like he did.

And yet, when she left with him… Garmadon did nothing. Not that he would have stopped her by force, but maybe he could have done _something_ different. He could've said the right thing, made the right decision, changed himself into someone who could be there for his son. But he did nothing.

"Dad?"

Garmadon blinks and looks down at Lloyd, who frowns. "Are you alright?" he asks.

Instead of answering, Garmadon says, "How about I show you where you can put that uniform on. We have a training lesson to start."

"Oh! Right!" Lloyd balls up the uniform and clutches it to his chest. "Where should I go?"

Garmadon points him to the hall and tells him where the changing room is. While Lloyd runs off, Garmadon turns away and surreptitiously sends a group text to his generals: _i need some sort of round throwable object NON-LETHAL ONLY_

* * *

The uniform is a little big on Lloyd, but he doesn't mind. It fits well enough. He changes as fast as he can, leaving his school clothes in a pile on the floor, and rushes out. "Dad! I'm ready – oof!"

The general he bumps into babbles apologies while she helps Lloyd to his feet. "Sorry! I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Are you –"

"I'm fine," Lloyd says, brushing himself off. "It's not a big deal."

She shakes her head, clearly terrified. "Oh no, oh no, I knew I should've let Meri deliver it, I'm such a klutz, it's a wonder I haven't been fired yet, oh no –"

"Are you okay?" Lloyd asks.

The general shoves an rubber ball into his arms and runs past him. Lloyd watches her go, looks down at the ball, and shrugs.

Back in the training room, Garmadon is furiously texting on his phone with all four hands. He doesn't look up until Lloyd clears his throat. "I'm ready," he says. "Someone gave me this."

He holds out the ball. His father takes it with a grin.

"Excellent! This is exactly what we need for our training!"

"We need a toy ball to train?"

"Yup!"

"Why?"

Garmadon flicks Lloyd's nose. "Because, Luhloyd, you can be a ninja master if you can't throw or catch a ball! Seems like a good first lesson for your training, doesn't it?"

Lloyd frowns at him, rubbing his nose. "We're going to play catch?"

"Well, when you put it like that, it doesn't sound nearly as fun, but –"

Lloyd grabs his hand and smiles up at him. "It sounds great, Dad!" he says. "Thank you!"

Garmadon opens his mouth, closes it, then shakes his head and smiles. "Alright, son. Here, head over there, and try and catch this…"


	5. You can pick your friends, but you can pick your family too, and I'm starting to wonder if I made the right choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me last chapter: I'm gonna try to update all my wips at least once a month  
> me now: ahahahahahahahahahaha
> 
> no promises about when the next chapter is coming. I'm slowly chipping away at my wips, and eventually, this will be finished. that's all I can say. sorry these chapters are so short dfgkjhl

Koko's noticed that her son has been happier, lately.

Lloyd has been smiling more, laughing more, talking excitedly about all the things he's been doing with his friends – and, of course, about his father, how they talked on the phone the other day and how isn't it so cool how he lives in a volcano?

"It's way cooler than this place," he says. Koko gives him a hard look and he backpedals. "I mean, this place is great! I like our apartment! I mean, it's probably way better to live in a tiny apartment than a volcano, and, uh…"

"I would think a volcano would be hotter, wouldn't it?" Koko hides her smile behind a mug of tea.

Lloyd groans. "Mom!"

"Is there a problem?"

"You know what I meant!"

Garmadon hasn't attacked the city in weeks. Koko wonders if he's happier, too.

"Lloyd," she calls out, stopping him at the door. "You're being careful, right?"

"About what?" Lloyd asks, frowning.

Koko takes a deep breath. "Just in general," she says. "You're not doing anything… dangerous?"

Lloyd pauses for a few moments. "No," he says, and leaves.

* * *

"Hey, bro," Cole says, eyes glued to his gameboy. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Lloyd says, and he steps around him to get to his locker.

Kai steps up next to him and puts an arm around his shoulders. "You've been hanging out at the docks a lot!" he says loudly. "And, y'know, we were wondering what's up with that!"

Lloyd glances around. Zane, Jay, and Nya are all looking at him expectantly.

"What's going on?" he asks.

"Um," Jay says. "We were just… um, do you want to hang out at my house today?"

"Your mom doesn't like me," says Lloyd.

"I know! But, she's been a lot nicer, lately, I think? And if we stay in my room…"

"What's actually going on?" Lloyd says.

"We are worried you are doing dangerous things with your father," Zane says. Everyone else flinches and looks around to make sure no one else overheard.

"Oh," says Lloyd. "No, I'm fine."

He steps out of Kai's reach and opens his locker.

"Dude," Nya says. "You've been hanging out with him, like, a lot. I mean, I know he's your dad and stuff, but he's a super bad guy! He's not, like, corrupting you into becoming evil, is he?"

"No!" Lloyd says loudly. "Look, I'll tell you later, okay?"

Kai frowns. "But –"

"Hey, how about you meet me by the docks? You can come with me this time!"

"Um," says Jay.

"Yeah!" Lloyd beams at them. "That's it! Meet me there after school, and I'll tell you everything, okay?"

He leaves before anyone can collect themselves enough to answer.

* * *

After school, Lloyd is at the docks, bouncing up and down. "You're here!" he says when he sees his friends. "Great! The general will be here soon, probably."

"Which one?" Jay asks.

"I dunno. They all like me a lot, so they fight over who gets to pick me up."

"Cool," says Zane.

"Okay, just to make this clear," Nya says loudly, "are we actually going to Lord Garmadon's secret volcano base?"

"It's not a secret," Lloyd says. "Everyone knows where it is."

"But we are going there," Cole says.

"I mean, yeah. If you want to, anyway."

Jay hunches over, shrinking in on himself. "Um, do all of us have to go?"

"It's not that big of a deal," Kai says. "I mean, I went with Lloyd that one time, and nothing bad happened. Not really, anyway."

"It's still kind of a deal," Nya says, rocking back and forth on her feet. "Like… sure, Garmadon's nice to Lloyd, but does that mean he'll be nice to all of us?"

Lloyd frowns. "Look, I can't tell you everything if you don't come, okay? I'm kind of doing a secret thing. Plus, I already asked him if you guys could come, and he said it was fine."

"Oh," says Jay, "so he knows we're coming. That makes it worse."

"Hey!"

"I think we will be okay," Zane says. "And if something bad does happen, Jay's parents will call the police, and my dad will build a super attack drone to enact revenge." He pauses, his processors whirring. "That is, if he notices I'm gone."

"Nothing bad is going to happen," Lloyd says, clearly annoyed. "C'mon, I think I see the boat."

There's definitely a boat coming; Lloyd goes to the edge of the dock to wait, while his friends cluster together some distance behind him.

"Hi, Olivia!" Lloyd shouts when the boat is close enough to see the woman steering it. "My friends are here! Dad told you, right?"

"Sure did!" Olivia stops the boat right next to the dock and grins. "Get on quick! Time's a-wasting!"

"Aren't you supposed to tie the boat to the dock first?" Jay says.

"What? I'm close enough, aren't I?"

Lloyd jumps on and turns to the others with a smile. "Come on, guys!"

The rest of the kids look at each other nervously.

"Well, I'm going," says Kai, and he puffs himself up and walks forward, jumping on the boat. One by one, the others follow.


End file.
